Primal Priorities
by Onyxus
Summary: Her novel spoke of romance, passion and affection, though she herself had never experienced such heated emotions. But after taking a trip to a small, far-away town in Nevada with a teenage redneck at her side, the writer is placed on a podium where love and death dance together. Optimus/OC, Megatron/OC
1. From Romania To Jasper

_**This little piece of crap is a present for a dear friend who has been helping me and hearing out my troubles for a long time now.**_

_**I know I promised to post it a long time ago so sorry for that. **_

_**Enjoy my lovely OptimusSTAR and I hope you update your stories soon as well.**_

She gazed over the large two story house with a content expression before inhaling deeply the dry, hot air that just didn't seem to chance in Nevada.

She felt at ease, a long forgotten feeling of peace settling deep within her chest, that is until a loud, cheerful voice boomed behind her.

"Don't just stand there like a tree! Come on!" an eager teenage girl ran past her, roughly grabbing her luggage and flinging it over her back.

"How I ever thought this was a good idea is beyond me." the dark haired woman sighed before ironically smiling at the ruckus emitting from her temporary home.

Her agent had thought that Kathy needed some time to cool off her strained brain after she failed to write the sequel to her novel, so she came up with a rather pleasant for the ears idea.

The woman had sent the writer to a far-away town in which relaxation would be her main priority for a month, that is until a tall, sweaty teenager showed on her doorstep.

Emilia, a young girl living in Southern Europe, and the well-known writer had formed a friendship over internet years ago. They had chatted and as the months passed learned more about the other until Kathy offered her home as a roof under which the teenager could sleep if she ever decided to visit her. Of course the woman had thought that it would take ears for Emilia to gather the money and courage to attempt such a trip, but, to her pleasant surprise, the girl appeared shortly after she finished her second ear of high school.

The writer smiled at the fresh memory.

Both the teenager and her mother had arrived a day before her escort to Jasper came, which seemed as thought it would slightly complicate her leave. However, her fears had turned out to be unneeded since the girl's mother preferred to stay in the big city while redneck Emilia invited herself to the one month break in Jasper. And now, here they were, exploring the rented house with eagerness that broke the boundaries between their age difference.

"I take this room!" the teenager informed before setting the mass of sacks on the neatly made bed.

"Ok." Kathy nodded from the door "Now could you give me my luggage back?"

Emilia smiled apologetically and nodded before picking up the large, dark blue sack.

"Where's your room?" she asked while striding down the corridor.

"You don't need to-" the woman hurried after her, though the rebellious girl had already entered the only other bedroom.

"Thanks." Kathy offered a small smile to her oddly robust friend who placed her hands on her belt.

"Don't mention it." the teenager pulled the elastic band away from her pulsing scalp, freeing her hair from the tight ponytail she had enslaved it in "I'm gonna go take a shower...I smell like a pig."

The woman laughed at the mumbled self-examination and turned to the sack awaiting her beside her bed.

* * *

Kathy inhaled deeply, fairly worn out from the unpacking, before casting a quick glance at the falling sun.

Distance filled her eyes as she left the once scourging rays creep up her face and smiled, recalling the exact same moment from her childhood. When she wasn't pressured by companies requesting her work within weeks, or when her once friends tried to steal her material for their own sake and glory. She didn't want fame or to drown in money, but to just write without constantly being reminded that she had a time limit.

A light yet persistent knock sounded from the front door, causing the woman to shake away her melancholic thoughts.

"Hello." a young woman smiled once Kathy emerged from behind the door "I'm June and this is my son, Jack."

The boy behind her nodded, seemingly displeased to be dragged to meet the new temporary neighbours.

"We heard about you moving in and wanted to come greet you."

A warm smile lighted Kathy's features before she stepped aside to let June and her son enter.

"The livingroom's that way." she gestured to the ajar door before lifting her eyes to the second floor "Lia, we have guests."

Ruckus emitted from the teenager's room shortly after, leaving the woman secured that the girl would come down soon.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you anything." Kathy sighed, an apologetic, mildly embarrassed look weighting on her features "We just arrived and have been unpacking ever since."

"We?" June asked, curiosity clear in her eyes.

"Yes, me and my friend."

A heavy strode was heard from the stairs before Emilia appeared in the living room with damp hair sticking to her pale face.

"Lia, these are our neighbours." Kathy waved her hand at the people occupying the large sofa "June and her son, Jack."

"Nice to meet you." the girl chocked out, her rich accent thickly covering her words, and nervously sat in the chair facing Jack.

A knowing smile slipped through Kathy heated talk with June when she took a glimpse at the two teenagers, more specifically at the boy.

A light pink pallet had tinted his cheeks while he conversed with her friend, who seemed to be either ignoring the fact or too blind to see it.


	2. Redhead vs Redneck

_**I know the chapters are not long and since I like to fulfill a specific norm of about 3000 words this is kinda hard for me to swallow. By anyway, enjoy chapter two, review, like, follow, flame if you feel the need to.**_

A look between displease and irritation had dulled both Jack and Emilia's faces while they slouched behind the two older women, who unlike them seemed quite content.

Why Kathy had agreed with Mrs. Darby's good-time-ruining plans, she didn't know, though the reason mattered little at the moment seeing as she was already in the convenient store, practically kept on a leash from the two women.

Jack and her had bonded perfectly, always finding a similar liking, no matter if it was a game or a movie that both enjoyed.

Everything had reached perfection over the time she spent with him, but, of course, that perfection had to be tainted by June who's intentions were well-meant, though irritating.

"Mom!" the boy whined "Why did you have to bring us too?"

Kathy glanced back at her friend, acknowledging her bitterness, and with a small smile nudged her head as a sign for her to take Jack and bail.

"Because-" June began full heartily, unaware that the two teenagers had no intention to stay for the rest of the lecture "-you two have been spending the last three days playing video games so me and Kathy-"

Emilia lightly tugged on the boy's sleeve to which he turned and saw her pointing at the aisle they were nearing.

He nodded vigorously, a cunning smile on his face, while his annoyance hastily evolved into excitement, which he didn't bother concealing.

"-thought that it would be a good idea to take you with..." June turned around, the nag in the back of her head confirming that her son had been too patient with her lecture "us?"

"Jack!" she hissed and tightened her grip on her purse to restrain herself from acting upon raw anger.

"Calm down, June." Kathy placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and smiled, pretending that she had not been a participant in the teenagers' hightail "They're just kids, they'll come around."

Her soothing words eased June's rash breaths before she closed her eyes, determined to enjoy the time she would spend with the Italian woman soothing her before having a long talk with her son.

* * *

Emilia placed a shaky palm on Jack's shoulder, halfway bent and hungrily filling her lungs with hot, dry summer air while letting chocked coughs scrape her throat between intakes.

She looked up at the boy, seeing a mixture of anxiety, adrenaline lust and eagerness shine in his dark orbs.

Apparently he hadn't had the guts to bail before, which only caused his heart to pump faster, filling him with energy and excitement he was unfamiliar with, though seemed to enjoy.

"Want a drink?" the boy asked while taking out what money he had from his back pocket.

"Yes!" the girl chocked out, watching him turn to a brightly colored booth displaying all kinds of frozen drinks.

Eyes glowed in joy while Emilia greedily forced the sweet, cold essence down her throat, though not before giving Jack an appreciative smile.

"Jack? Hi!"

Both turned to the giggling call and watched a red-headed girl near them with an energetic step.

"Sierra-" the redneck noticed her friend's voice momentarily, the usage of lower for his usual tone notes clearing the image of who the abruptly appeared girl was.

"-Who's your friend?" venom was hidden in the seemingly friendly question, though only Emilia noticed. However, she kept her biting words sealed, preferring to let Jack handle his potential girlfriend, even if she did appear too high ranked for him.

"This is Emilia, she's a friend of mine." the boy felt an arm roughly slide around his neck, a manner which not many girls performed.

"Yes." she confirmed, smiling at the redhead "Just friends."

"Oh, well," Sierra extended her hand before receiving a firm shake from the dark haired girl "nice to meet you."

Emilia nodded, eager to try thickening the thin threads Jack shared with the girl, though she slipped away before the redneck had a chance to sink her teeth in her personality.

The rapid honking of a car sounded behind her, making her turn and see a blond boy glaring their way.

"I'll get going." the redhead waved "See you around, Jack."

Emilia stood there, baffled, before turning to the boy. "Dude! She's totally playing with you."

The boy only shrugged, disinterested to comment about Sierra, though his friend wasn't letting go just yet.

"Don't you like 'er?" it was odd to her that Jack would pass out on a pretty chick like the redhead, though it was possible that he held feeling for another or already had a girlfriend.

The girl sneered at the thought of the boy scoring a decent piece.

"I liked her before." he answered simply.

"What about now?" she preferred to deny to herself, though her hardheadedness didn't enslave the feeling of jealousy completely.

Jack was her friend, like a new start, he gave her hope that she wouldn't screw up like many times in the past.

Recalling pained her, having her question and mourn over the vague memories where people left her because they grew tired of her presence. She understood, it was only human to get tired of something and the hurt felt far as the glimpses of remembrance. Emilia could easily push them aside. And she did, preferring to keep her attention on Jack.

"I have you to spend my time with." he smiled at her, no hesitation or regret in his words.

The girl loosely curled her hand around his neck, briefly squeezing to show her gratitude.

"You know," she exhaled once emptying the large cup in her grasp "there aren't many boys like you back home."

"Like me?" Jack questioned, seemingly dumbfounded.

"Yeah, kind, funny...cute." she nudged, grinning at the boy's struggling attempt to swallow the juice in his mouth, apparently surprised by her statement, though not displeased.

Hope sparked a flare in his drumming heart, causing a burn of deep red to heat his cheeks before his face was lit by a self-encouraging smile.

It was his chance, maybe the first and last, in which he would be able to gather enough strength to risk the new relations he had built over three short days.

"Hey, ummm...Lia?" Jack mumbled, sweat gliding down his forehead, awoken from both the heat and his nervousness "Would you-"

"-Jack Darby!"

He stiffened at the raging call before his head wiped around to see his mother, anger showing through her red face while she hastily approached him, stomping her heels in the ground in way that told him that he was doomed.

"M-mom?"

"We are so dead." Emilia sighed.

She was too tired to run and from Jack's still uneven pants he was as well, which left them with the option to sit in chains on Mrs. Darby's couch while she lectured them about proper behavior.

The girl had heard enough from her parents so she was not about to yield and obey, no matter how hard June's stare was.

She didn't comprehend what caused her to lose her balance, or what was the source of the piercing sound, though a glimpse of grey armor seemed to have been imprinted in her mind.

She felt herself being tossed and once her vision began to clear from the countless black spots she froze, seeing nothing but two large red orbs.

Her name could be heard in screams, echoing in the far distance, but she couldn't speak, her voice was lost, settled down in hiding.

Metal engulfed her, plates and joints moving around her in a blurry tango before she watched belts secured her tightly to her seat.

She was trapped, strapped inside the cockpit of a jet and flying, to where, she didn't know, but was sure that Kathy and Jack wouldn't be there.

She was drowning in both fear and confusion, her own breathing worsening her suffocation.

How the jet was capable of flying without a pilot to lead stunned her, though she decided to leave the thought of fascination for another, more suitable time, and focused on her primal problem.

Getting the fuck free.

She pressured against the belts, testing their sturdiness, before frowning, sour of her misfortune.

"Stay still, human, or I will drop you here."

Emilia suddered, her eyes large in disbelief while she faced the control, unsure of the voice's specific source.

"You...talk?"


	3. Interfacing Instincts

Tears damped her dark eyes while she watched the sun fall behind the desolated Nevada landscape.

The burning rays reflected in her pupils, causing them to shorten in expand before they averted to the trembling hands below them.

"We'll bring her back, Kathy," the woman stiffened at the soothing squeeze applied to her slumped shoulder "don't worry."

She could only nod before taking in a shaky breath to try and calm herself before she crumbled.

Emilia's capture was by her doing and it ripped her apart to even think of what she saw suffering through. If she had refused June's offer to take the kids along the girl would have been safe, locked inside Jack's room for one of their hours long action games.

"Were are we?" she asked, her voice thin from a trip long crying, and watched the tunnel they were passing by give way to a large facility.

"Somewhere safe." Jack answered simply, almost rudely, which confirmed Kathy's suppositions that the boy was even more upset than her, though tried to hide it "Come on."

Her rash breaths died down when she faced the _people_ who were going to bring back her friend, eyes wide in disbelief while facing glowing blue orbs.

She stiffened at the loud sound of grinding metal behind her back, her face showing slight fear while she glanced at the bipedal form of the car she had rode in.

"That's Bumblebee," Jack said before turning to the rest of the robots gathered behind him "Arcee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Miko, Raph and the commander,"

Kathy lifted a hand to her parted lips, unable to comprehend the giant that stood before her, his frame radiating a need for respect and intimidation, though his eyes showed nothing but kindness.

"Optimus Prime."

"Oh God." she inhaled, watching the massive mech kneel before his hand was laid flat next to her.

"We will return your friend." he stated, voice solemn, sending vibrations through the metal underneath the woman's shaky feet "You have my word."

She nodded stiffly, preserving her voice to hide the nervous stutter that had possessed it.

"Ratchet, try to detect decepticon readings." the mech ordered once Kathy had been sat on his shoulderplates.

The woman had been fighting with her exhaustion throughout the entire ride and had been rather successful at keeping herself awake, though after settling on the commander's shoulder she surrendered. Her own body heat was able to lull into a daze until her eyelids became to heavy to be kept apart.

She couldn't struggle anymore, didn't want to either. All she wanted was to find Emilia by her side, safe and healthy, when she woke up.

Optimus suppressed a shudder when the woman's hands dug under his plating, her little, warm fingers gliding over his sensitive protoform.

He turned to her sharply, his optics dimmed, and found her tantalising seduction completely unwitting since she was in recharge.

The mech did his best to try and ignore the pleasurable feeling, though the light jolts causing Kathy's hands to twitch and curl around the thin cables underneath his armor were unbearable.

With hasty steps he hid in his quarters, ignorant to the confused looks that had been focused on his back. He preferred to explain his behavior in later time, seeing as his voice would be lost in heat of pleasure if he even considered talking.

Optimus inhaled harshly at the abrupt pull on his cables before letting out a meek growl, desperate in trying to contain his raging instincts before the woman became endangered.

He pulled her from his shoulder before lying her on the berth, his optics clearing, senses slowly returning to their normal, less sharp state.

It had not been his intention to let his instincts flare, but such touches to his protoform could not be left in ignorance because interfacing always began with them. And now not only did his painfully slow calming torture him, but the warmth centralised around his interfacing panel began to increase. Rapidly.


	4. Pet Hamster

A satisfied smirk twisted her haggard expression while she watched her captor take hit after from the significantly larger robot.

It was a pleasure to watch since it soothed her yearn for vengeance after Starscum had electrocuted _and_ held her hanging in chains enough to make her limbs refuse to function from blood deficit. However, as much as the leader didn't seem to pay her much mind she still did keep her head bowed, the reason for that she left for him to choose.

She couldn't understand the reason for her abduction, but by the insulting words Megatron used to describe his second in command the jet was playing the part of a big factor.

Despite her long hair and much paler skin than Jack's, Starscream was apparently too stupid to tell the difference between the two, which resulted to her in chains and suffering through the side-effects of her past torturing.

"How could you be so incompetent as to bring back a human with absolutely no knowledge of the autobots?!" the decepticon commander snarled, his words booming through the ship while he tightened his grip on Starscrem's neck, the want to crush him hastily slipping from his restrain.

"B-but, Lord Megatron," chocked words could barely leave his mouth from the crushing hold he struggled against "s-she's dear to Arcee's c-charge. She could be of use!"

The mech exhaled while sliding down the metal wall, his optics grim from exhaustion, and scraped his sharpened fingers against his damaged neck, feeling crushed metal and dents in the area his lord's hand had laid.

Emilia grunted while lightly pulling on the restrains around her wrists, desperate to lose them, though without any strength left to attempt in doing so.

She lifted her eyes in acknowledgement of the giant standing before her, meeting a fierce gaze, though failing to keep the stare for long.

A sharp strike of pain would delve deep in her head, restraining her from thinking properly and leaving a pulsing echo after every strike.

"Such a pathetic race." Megatron grumbled, examining the human femme with disgust.

The redneck swallowed back her narky comeback, avoiding to pick a fight with someone who could squash her like she could an ant.

"Not to interrupt," Knock Out raised a hand while the other stood before his chest from their previous, crossed state "but if the human is kept as such the percentage of her muscles tearing will become dangerously high. And we do need her alive and moving."

Megatron nodded deeply, his optics tearing from the pitiful sight the femme had come to be. "Release her."

The red mech complied instantly, preferring to keep his paint spotless and servos functional unlike his fellow comrade, Starscream.

"Prepare a cell for her." the commander ordered and sealed the girl in his hand, ready to crush her if she tried to squirm her way to freedom "I will keep watch on her until then."

Emilia scanned the halls she was carried through, taking note of the brief bows her carrier received from all the passersby he walked past, and smirked in amusement.

" Must of taken' you a long time to make each of 'em bow." she commented, her voice raspy from misuse.

Megatron kept silent, though felt rather pleased that the human had noticed his dominance over the rest of the ship's inhabitants, unknown to her of course.

"Raise." he pinched the back of her shirt and pulled her up, though without his help she could only lift the upper part of her body.

"Raise human." he repeated, thankfully patient of Emilia's misfortunate tries, and pushed her forward, urging her to cross his berth.

"I can't." the girl whined, having failed in every attempt.

How long had her feet spent in misuse to reckon that there was no need to obey her commands? Apparently a lot. And since she had spent most of the time in a sleeping daze from the draining tantalisation Starscream had forced her through with visible enjoyment her legs had decided to just shut down.

"Do not surrender so easily." the mech snarled and picked her up, dragging her by the hem of her collar until she grew tired of her own weak will and tried to either stop him or walk along.

He smirked, seeing her struggling with his pace before her shaky strode evolved into a dash, and left her to deplete her energy on his berth, following her rash turns and vital leaps in satisfaction of her achievement. However, his content gaze dissolved when she decided that it would be interesting to try climbing up his servo.

He picked her up, his glare back in place, and left a gargling rumble to slip past his sharp dentas in warning, causing her stiffen "Do not touch me, human."

"I'm sorry!" she hastily raised her hands up, yielding.

The mech groaned, his glare averting and roughly tossed her back on the berth, causing her to stumble before the metal beneath her feet slipped.

"Man, you've got some major issues." she mumbled, her statement as silent as could be, though it did not pass without being noticed.

She jumped and crossed her hands in front of her as a shield from the massive fist slammed next to her with force that caused her teeth to clatter.

"Do not disrespect me, girl." the commander snarled, his guttural words almost completely blending with the voiced out rage "If you wish to live."

"Lord Megatron," both the mech and the girl turned their gazed to Knock Out who was casually leaned against the opened doors with a careless expression "the cell is ready."

Emilia bit back her protests when she was grossly grabbed before Megatron fenced her in his palm.

"Do I look like a hamster to you?" she snapped bitterly while her gaze ravaged her cell with a sour look.

"Well, you are vermin." the red mech sneered, his commentary cheap yet irritating.

The girl only snorted and sat on the metal floor, pushing back the curiosity urge to check if the glowing bars holding her back were able to cause any damage when exposed to direct contact.

"You will be fed soon." Knock Out stated nonchalant before leaving the human in solitude, for which she was thankful, having spent enough time in the presence of their kind.

"God, Kathy," she exhaled, lying back while her hands tangled behind her head to serve as a pillow "what the fuck am I supposed to do now?"


	5. Blind Man's Trust

He listened to the woman's even breathing in silence, enjoying the rarity of such a time freezing moment.

She had insisted to stay with him while he and Ratchet struggled with the rescue plan, clutching to his shoulderplate whenever his movement was a bit more rash, though without complaining.

He understood how dear her friend was and did his best to speed up the process of retrieving the girl from the enemy's hands before the life was stolen away from her while exposed to constant torture for information. Kathy had stressed to the point where all energy had been literally drained from her, leaving her to fall asleep on his shoulder without him noticing until she had caused the awakening of his interfacing organ.

The mech had decided to retreat to his quarters until her awakening and though he did worry about the potential discomfort she would endure from the deficit of softness she had been soundly slumbering for nearly three hours.

Mumbling calls slipped past the woman's parted lips before her eyelids slid back, revealing misted dark eyes, which seemed to glister when she was finally able to focus them on the him.

"Optimus." she noticed the pair of glowing blue optics looming above her before sitting up, her gaze lingering "Where am I?"

"In my quarters." the mech smiled at her confusion and the fact that she held nothing except it, no fear nor intimidation, which only showed her settled self when it came to him and his team "You fell into recharge."

"So-" uneasiness settled in her while she hesitantly glided her hand over the warm metal beneath her, leaving steamed trails after her hot, outstretched fingers "-this is your bed?"

"Yes."

A light chirping giggle tickled his senses while he returned the small human's friendly smile with a content expression.

"You must have had a hard time with a sleeping human on your shoulder."

"Lightly." Optimus soothed and laid his palm flat on the berth, letting Kathy climb on before setting her on her undeclaired spot on his shoulder.

"Ratchet?" Optimus called, his unspoken question clear.

"No readings." the medic answered shortly, his expression solemn and focused on the large screens while his fingers wildly moved over the massive keyboard laid before him.

The woman swallowed heavily in sorrow, then being the moment when she remembered just why she had been sharing a hidden base with giant robots.

Emilia was missing.

And the fact that she knew nothing about her captors except that which she had been told by her new alliance caused conclusions of all kinds to fill her head. Dreaded what ifs settled in the starting spots of every sentence that she pictured with great gruesome details which seemed to be able to twist her stomach into countless, painfully tight knots.

She gently pinched the upper part of her nose, eyes closed and eyebrows brought together in show of her irritation with her own stupidity and overreacting.

Optimus had been clear when he said that Emilia had been taken for information, which meant that she would have to be kept alive in order to talk. She would be fine when brought back, bruised and potentially starved, but breathing.

A gentle shudder left tingles to run over every inch of both exposed and clothed skin when she felt a tug on the back of her top.

With hesitant speed the autobot commander lifted her from his shoulder and sat her beside his foot before transforming.

"We will continue once I return." were his words to the preoccupied medic before he opened the door to his passenger seat in a silent invite, which Kathy understood without much thought.

"Optimus?" the woman blinked with raised eyebrows, taking in the smiling man that was resting his elbows on the steering wheel "How?"

A low rumble much resembling a chuckle slipped past said man while he soaked Kathy's baffled expression, "These are holograms we use to blend in with your kind."

"Materialised holograms." he added after Kathy's failed attempt to dive her hand through his chest "We feel everything, much like in our real bodies, though there is a slight difference."

The woman nodded and shuffled deeper in the seat, leaving her hands to rest in her lap. "Where are we going?"

Her question certainly didn't sound like one and she knew that the mech heard it as well, though he did answer, thankfully, understanding her struggles with trying to start a sort of a conversation.

"To your living quarters." he stated simply "We will spend the night there."

"We?" the woman averted her eyes from the already darkening scenery passing by the rolled down window and as though noticing her stare the mech firmly nodded.

"I am not leaving you unguarded."

"That's really sweet." she smiled warmly "But your team needs you more and I doubt the bad guys will come after me too." it pained her to force out her next words, though she believed them as true so it was only fair to continue speaking "They already have Lia."

A comforting hand weighted on her shoulder before she felt it squeeze her tender flesh just barely, but enough to show understanding.

"We will bring her back, Kathy."

"I know." she rested her hand over the mech's and craned her neck for their gazes to meet properly "I trust you."

It seemed as though the shared stare was heavy for both of them, though neither had the courage to break it in fear to not offend the other.

_"Offend?" _the woman pondered.

When thinking over it the act wouldn't really be offending in any way, though because of her denial to confess her fear of losing what fondness she had built in the massive mech's optics, Kathy had no reasonable explanation as to why she couldn't break the eye contact.

"We've arrived." Optimus stated and tore his gaze away while fighting the uneasiness that struck him.

This woman seemed so much more complex than Jack's femme creator yet her kindness and warm act towards him, despite Earth not being his birth planet, drew him to her.

He saw a very potential ally, friend, as close as you could possibly get to one's spark.

With a shallow dip of the head Kathy stepped out, leaving the passenger door to be closed by its owner and with calm visible nonchalant steps circled the peterbilt to face his front.

She ran her palms over the cool metal with eyes lowered to the ground as though savoring not the contact, but the position.

The collision of heated flesh and cold steel caused her to breathe in deeply in an unknown to that moment sensation that felt more mental than physical.

"Thank you, Optimus Prime." she leaned in to connect her mouth with the metal in a gentle act that wasn't given much thought "Good night."

A smile eased on her haggard face when she heard the returned "good night" and stepped back before disappearing inside the empty house.

The peterbilt came to life as soon as she left.

Optimus rolled to the house as close as his large frame allowed before lowering on his tires, his movement reminding of a gladly released deep sigh.

Maybe it was because he didn't feel ready that he didn't admit it, but the mech knew that, even if a human, the woman was warming his spark rapidly.

She was becoming a precious friend, one that he would not risk the loss of.


	6. The Mate Of A Prime

Kathy woke up early, her excuse being the butterflies in her stomach that just seemed to make her feel restless and at the same time take all the strength from her knees.

She opted to dress cooler for the day, taking note of the soaked in sweat clothes she had worn yesterday, and stopped on thin, torn to the knee jeans. A long brown tank top clung to her top and would hopefully keep her from being grilled by the hasty increase of warmth outside.

With an eager step she rushed outside, keys dangling from her hand, ready to lock the front door before the truck in the front yard drew all attention to himself.

The brunette applied a soft pat to the tall hood and grinned at the sudden startled shudder she received as an answer. "Morning, Prime."

She settled in the passenger seat before rolling down the window. Kathy wanted to enjoy the cool air to its fullest before the sun rouse large and proud and took that chance from her.

"Good morning, Kathy." the holoform greeted, noticing the wide-awake, serene smile the woman held "I see you are fully rested."

"As surprising as that sounds, yes." she snickered, ready and eager for the new day full of possibilities to find Emilia.

She had spent a rather large part of the night thinking over her way of thinking about her friend's capture.

Shedding tears wouldn't bring her back unlike investing all effort on helping in whatever her little human hands came in use, which wasn't much but would leave her satisfied in the end of the day.

The woman smiled brightly at the still dim road, absorbing that which the light hid in the brink of day, eyes tracing the rocky landscape before tarrying on the raising sun until it became too bright to be admired by a direct look.

"You are fond of the sunrise." the holoform smiled warmly, his question more of a statement.

Kathy nodded, still peering at the shy, undeveloped sunrays. "Very."

"You have written much description of it in your novel." Optimus added with a nonchalant edge to him voice and a smile showing his fascination with her work.

"What?" the woman blurted, her face heating up in embarrassment "You've...you've read my book?"

The news were certainly startling before giving way to a wave of discomfort, causing her settled form to start shifting to different parts of the seat.

She failed to find her place from unease, especially with the confused look she bared from the Prime.

"Yes, while you were in recharge. And it was...suspencing."

"Glad you enjoyed." Kathy mumbled with eyes on her feet, abashed to the point where her voice came out meek and forced.

She inhaled sharply as a shudder ran down her back, a want to shrink away from the hand gripping her chin making her hands reach up, though were stopped just below her collarbone.

The mech tugged on the soft flesh under her bottom lip to turn her shy eyes to him and make her see that he held nothing but marvel for her novel in hopes to calm her. "Your work is immaculate, do not be ashamed of it."

"No. It's not that." the woman sighed, fumbling with her nails in a nervous habit she just couldn't seem to extricate "Just...some parts are-"

"-Interfacing scenes." the Prime finished in pity of the chocking woman. A jesting smile crossed his face which threw feint playfulness over his usual kind yet heavy features and filled his human like optics with a childish glint. "I did find them rather...interesting to read."

Kathy hummed desperately, begging the mech to stop before she jumped out the window from embarrassment.

"Why did you choose such gender?" Optimus sent the woman a curios glance.

It made her wonder. Why had she? Most of her work was a thread of romance, a gender she had learned to use well, thought she had never actually thought why.

"Well..." she sighed, taking her time in thinking of a response that wouldn't be lie "I think because...I really don't know how a relationship feels like."

Her answer earned her a bewildered look, though it didn't bother her, she had already swallowed the fact that her shyness ruined the possibility of starting anything besides a good friendship with men.

"Do you not wish to bond?"

She snorted bitterly at the question and forced back her tears before they spilled over her cheeks.

"No, it's not that just...I'm not that attractive and whenever I get close to a guy things just seemed to...fall apart." she exhaled.

The fact pained her, but she didn't give it much thought, didn't want to either.

Her hand was lifted up to rub her shoulder in support for all that which she had struggled through and still was and would until her friend was brought back and the decepticons were taken down.

"Do not look down upon yourself." the Prime pressed his palm over hers, forcing it to stay in place. An unfamiliar harshness roughened his voice as thought he was not advising, but scolding her for her wording.

"You sound like Emilia." she smiled, ironically, but smiled.

* * *

Ratchet's stern face was their greeting when the two set foot in the autobot hangar, causing irritation to arise in Kathy, though she kept silent after learning the reason.

Decepticon activity.

With one swift pull on a lever the bridge shone ready before the small group of autobots, waiting for them to cross before being shutting down.

It was a tense moment for the woman, very heavy, suffocating even, because a battle raged inside her while she watched the Prime stride nearer to the portal.

She fought back, trying to restrain herself from acting upon her rash instincts, which bellowed for her to stop him, to keep him there so that she would not lose him as well.

Optimus was the next to follow through the bridge, though was stopped by a meek, pleading call.

"Optimus."

His head wiped around to face the small femme standing just a few feet away from him and his optics softened, having noticed the worried look she held.

He knelt before her, one hand laid on his knee while the other he gently glided behind her legs and lifted her up to his facial plates.

A lump of saliva weighted on her throat, depriving her of every wording, which made her bow her head in embarrassment.

The mech waited patiently until she gathered the strength to speak and patted her back tenderly with a kind and patient gaze.

"I..." she had never felt so troubled to converse before. It was a first and hopefully last if she wanted to develop close relations with those she had met over the past two days "Just be careful out there, ok?"

A warm smile settled on his features before he drew the femme closer in yield of her outstretched hands and closed his optics.

The feel of the two burning pieces of plump flesh pressed flush against his cool metal earned a content shrill from his hastily heating spark.

"Optimus." an impatient medic sighed and averted his gaze away from the commander and to the bridge, beckoning him to join his team.

The Prime rouse, Kathy left back on the ground with hesitation in her eyes, and with a hasty step entered the bright portal. Though he didn't leave until sending the worried woman a reassuring glance.

"I will. You have my word."

A violent convulse caused her fingers to jolt from the instinctive need to reach out to the disappearing mech and pull him back, though she kept her compose.

He was going because of her, risking his own life and those of his squad to find her dear friend and hopefully bring her back. The autobots were not leaving to have fun, but save a life that was threatened from Megatron's wrath and his second in command's cruelty and sadism.

"Do you need help?" she meekly questioned Ratchet who seemed deep in thought, optics dim, before she interrupted.

"No." he answered simply and left a snort to roll past his dentas "The mate of a Prime should not dirty her hands with my duties."

The derisive edge to his tone was clearing that his statement was in fact a joke, a very mocking joke, but it didn't stop the scourging heat to raise in the woman face.

She placed her fists on her waist and met his sneering gaze with a glare, despite her deeply reddened cheeks and offered him a cunning smile. "Ratched, I think your processor is starting to malfunction."

The abrupt change of his expression strengthened her unsure comeback and she continued, her voice carrying honesty which the mech found confusing and rather intriguing. "The heat isn't doing you much good."

The medic frowned, though the femme showing attitude did spark his interest so he kept quiet, leaving her to have the final word.

Once a shy and pained woman mourning over the capture of her comrade now bit back to his teasing with visible ease, which showed just how sly her character was. She hid behind a mask of kindness and want to be of use, but once provoked she stood her ground and showed just how hard-nosed she could be.

"Are you sure you and Emilia are not related?"

Kathy turned to Jack's curios look and inhaled deeply.

"We're alike, aren't we?" she sighed, joining the group of kids that were slumped over the couch and as though hypnotized by the large TV screen.

"Yeah," the boy shrugged "a lot."

Kathy smiled, feeling herself slowly being engulfed in memories.

The resemblance between their characters was big, though unlike her the redneck teenager always spoke her mind and constantly lost herself in her own rage when ticked off. Emilia was cruel, short-tempered and very fierce when she was unreasonably declared as weak or unworthy because of age or gender, while Kathy preferred to keep her opinion and thoughts unspoken if they referred to dislikes of an object, situation or person.

She was ready to stick out her hand to anyone who needed help and offer kindness and understanding.

The two were so different and yet so alike.

Emilia would give all that she had if she decided to leave her shell to be broken and welcome a new person in her small group of cherished ones. It was she that had taught Kathy how to bite back, or at least to break the boundaries of kindness holding her back and keep her pride up. A young girl that was about to step in the life of the adults taught her something very important and in exchange received a friend who would never betray her.

So the woman wanted, needed her to return.

Emilia was a fighter, had been forced to become one since she grew old enough to walk, she would survive no matter what torture she had endured and still was. She knew how to struggle. She would make it.

"Ok! Enough with this Emilia!" Miko exhaled "We get that Jack has a crush and she's your friend. Jeeze! Lighten up." she kept her eyes on the game raging on the flat wide screen and hands on the console as though her words were nothing scpecial. And they weren't, except for Darby.

"You won't bring her back by moping around."

"You like her, Jack?"

The Asian girl snorted at the question and patter Raphael's back in mockery.

"Glad to see you discovered the hot water." she pointed at the flushed boy "Of course he likes her! Don't you see?"

A cheering voice emitted from the screen before them, making them avert their attention before Miko cried out.

"That's not fair!" she tightened her hand into a fist and dug it in Jack's shoulder enough to hurt him, though not to cause damage "I wasn't looking you cheater!"

"Well, you should have." was the boy's replay before he stood and left the console free, bowing to the want to just get away.

Three pairs of eyes followed his hasty steps, each bearing a different expression.

"I think he's mad." Raphael was the first to speak and turned to Miko who's acknowladgement was a nonchalant shrug.

"He'll get over it."

Kathy nodded before taking one last glance at the upset teenager. "Let's hope so."

She had been aware of the boy's attraction, though she hadn't suspected for it to be as strong considering Emilia and him knew each other for only a few days.

A warm smile brightened her face while she watched Raphael and Miko mercilessly tantalise the consoles while their characters fought fiercely.

She just hoped that when Optimus returned with the redneck she would be willing to form a relationship with Jack.

And why wouldn't she?

They had spent days without separation and seemed to be perfect for each other, it was just a matter of time before they realised that friendship was not enough. Though the woman was not aware that the girl's interest had already been stolen. By a thirty feet tall decepticon mech at that.


	7. Hot Skin and Cold Metal

_**Thanks for the review, favorites and follows. Really, they mean a lot. **_

_**My apologies to PrimeSPARROW and all those who read this story for my neglecting lately. School started and teachers are practically ripping us apart.**_

_**I will finish all my stories, but really with so little time it's hard, even if I do lack because I want to write. **_

_**I hope you enjoy and please leave feedback. It brightens my day. **_

She looked down with eyes full of joy yet hesitation while clutching to the bars Megatron's claws had become, examining that which her prison loomed over.

The mech lowered his hand to stand just a few inches above the water, which temperature was still undetermined, before retracting his fingers and turning it vertically.

"Wait!" the girl panicked, hands holding tightly to a randomly grasped metal plate "I can't wash with my clothes. "

Despite the fact that her clothing acted as protection against decepticons because of the rich smell of sweat suffocating those who were within radius of a few meters she would have loved to wash them. Though having no towel, or even a rag, with which she could preserve her naked body while they dried she settled on the option to leave them as such.

Emilia stumbled once set on the large berth, still not completely accustomed to the large being's roughness.

She gestured for him to turn, though only received an unaffected expression that seemed to ignore her rather than fail to understand.

The same fluent and hasty hand movement was repeated, this time more urgent, though Megatron refused to budge, either being really stupid or just too stubborn. She counted on the first one.

"Turn around." she sighed, hands placed on her waist while pushing back the frustration born from the mech's hopelessness.

The glare that had once been soft from curiosity was now returning to its previous, harsh form, before he growled, actually growled at the girl.

"I'm not getting naked in front of you." she snapped back, her daring eyes battling his own and winning successfully, until he decided to use his larger frame as a weapon.

He slid a clawed finger underneath the straps of her tank top and lifted her with ease as though she was a handbag.

"Ok, ok, ok!" she yelled, stiffly danging above the water she was yet to enter.

Heat centered in her body, causing a coat of sweat to cover the erect hairs on her now scourging skin and bring a red tint to shadow her face.

"I may be a mech, human, but I am not of your species." a grumbled statement slipped from the commander "What you hide under that useless armor does not interest me."

Was he kidding? He was fighting to win such a meaningless conversation instead of just complying because his pride didn't allow him to even agree with beings lower than him. The guy had to prove that he was the dominating party no matter the situation or to who.

He had some major complexes, she gave him that.

And here she thought Starscream was hopeless.

One by one the pieces of clothing were peeled off her until they became nothing more than a pool on the floor, which left her completely exposed.

She inhaled sharply, an abrupt shiver creeping up her back when the two mounds of flesh weighting on her rib cage were exposed as her nipples tightened drastically from the suddenly change of temperature.

"I'm ready." she grumbled, hands crossed in front of her breasts to retain at least a part of her dignity while a heated glare was sent to the mech, who seemed to carry a ghost of a smirk on his face plates.

As if he needed to be told!

She was shivering, butt naked and he knew, but wanted to hear it from her for his own pleasure. Megatron was mentally fucking her with visible satisfaction and by what she had learned throughout her stay, he was nowhere near done.

He smirked at her chocked whimper while she struggled to adjust to the cool water and calm her shuddering lower lip.

Emilia wasn't much of a swimmer, at all, so having the tank's fullness reaching her collarbone did spike a certain feeling of unease, though she did her best to swallow it back.

She leaned against one of the walls and started a rash rub against her raw skin in an attempt to clean herself at least basically.

What the fuck did Megatron expect her to bo if she wasn't even provided soap with which she could rid herself of the awful smell of sweat that bothered her as much as the rest. She practically had to scrape her skin to a deep red to look a little cleaner.

Look, not smell.

A trembling exhale rouse in her throat once she settled down to relax, letting her irritated skin calm under the cool water.

As much as the cares she received didn't fit even a dog, the girl preferred to keep her complains as just thoughts because either way this was the best she was going to get. And she did have to confess to herself that her current captor was very much preferable from the usual human criminal whose mind was more twisted that the hole decepticon body put together. Cept maybe Starscream.

She glanced up to meet what looked like an intrigued gaze, until she acknowledged it that is.

"Hey!" a heated protest rouse from her throat "Let me go! I wasn't finished."

The mech snarled, his glare back in place, before setting her next to the mass of clothes she had left behind.

"You take too much time."

"Are you for real?" she hissed before covering what parts of her body felt most vulnerable to the eye "Stop looking at me."

He tore his optics from her shivering frame and focused on the closed entrance to his chambers, anxiety creeping over him at the thought of someone entering. The reason he couldn't point, but the human's vulnerability was definitely paying a large part.

She was so frail that even he felt a pang of pity along with the usual distaste for humans.

The redneck sighed, irritated and for such a stupid reason as damp fabric.

Her top clung to her wet skin before soaking all the water that coated her and finally, holding on to her upper part too firmly to be left unnoticed.

A struggle with the disobedient clothing began and the girl was surprised that her rival possessed such stubbornness.

She was scooped up, still preoccupied with her tank top, while Megatron carried her back to her cell. Or more like carried her to take her cell in his other, free servo before returning to his quarters with a rather bewildered teenager locked in his hand, her top left forgotten.

"What are you doing?" she blurted and watched the mech set her plain home on the far end of his berth.

"I will not risk you trying to escape while my soldiers are in stasis-"

"-What?" she smirked at the mech's rumbling sigh, for the first time enjoying her lack of knowledge.

"While we...sleep."

Emilia suppressed a sneer while watching him take out the tank with dirty water she had occupied unwillingly and sat down, legs crossed and elbows dug in the sides of her knees as her palms held her head.

The guy really was a heartless jackass, though she couldn't help but like him. He had attitude, which she failed to notice in Starscream or Knock Out, even if the red mech was slightly better.

Megatron was a hector, that could be seen clear in only his expression, but he had not hurt her, not once, unlike his second in command who continued to torture her while knowing that she had none of the information her required. He was a bad guy, but he still had a sense of honor, for which she was thankful since that was probably the only reason she was still alive.

Emilia straightened from her bent position in reaction to the entrance and saw Megatron stride with a slow, solemn step.

She was set back in her cage, the feeling of serving as a pet returning as soon as her feet touched metal floor, and turned to the mech.

"So, are we sleeping now?"

"Yes." he took his time to answer while lying on his berth.

His optics dimmed when yearned recharge started taking over, though not before acknowledging the warm feeling that softly spread over the side of his helm, the source well known. But he didn't act upon the feeling, just left the human's hands to glide over his cool metal while he waited to fall into stasis, surprisingly tolerant to her touches.

The girl withdrew when a burning sensation jolted through her hand and saw a large dark red line just below her elbow.

She had gotten too close to the bars.

A mild shudder bit at her sides at the thought of the result from actually touching the bars. Though even if her mind bellowed for her to keep away from them she reached out, placing her hand on the cool metal once more and as if a jolt ran up her skin she shivered in pleasant delight.

"Oh God." she gasped, breathless and abruptly pulled away.

With haste in her movements she crawled to the opposite end of the cell to keep away before the urge to touch the metal became too urgent to be ignored.

Eyes watched the mech's wide chest move with a slow, calming rhythm before curling in a ball and letting her eyelids fall.

It was cold, the cell and all that surrounded it, causing a mild tremble to settle over her being while she tried to fall asleep. An arduous task it was with the constant chilling temperature that her damp clothes only sharpened.

A pitiful moan slipped past her frown, so desperate for heat that she moved closer to the bars, despite the chance of tearing her skin clear off her flesh.

Emilia sighed, content from the warming feeling that seemed thicken around her, calming her, lulling her to fall sleep.

One thing though she was unaware of because it was not the bars that the heat emitted from, but the very spark chamber of the decepticon that had settled her to rest along with him right atop his chest.


End file.
